Fuel-feeding device



July 16, 1929.

H. A. STUKES FUEL. FEEDING DEVICE Filed March 20,' 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l #ma n. @3.4mm

Gbbomefq i July 16, 1929;

H. A. STUKES FUEL FEEDING DEVICE Filed March 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet.

@Hoz um! d /42 '//1 IIIIIIIII I @www Wwf@ Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATESv PATENT oFFlc HORACE A. iSTUKES, 0F vSAN ANTONIQTEXAS. Ng

FUEL-FEEDING DEVICE; u

Application filed March 20, 1928. S'erial No. 263,166.

' use in connection with internal combustion lthe provision of a fuel feeding device embodying a main feed tank and within it an auxv iliary vacuum tank, with a valve anda novel type of controlling mechanism therefor, through which the air pressure in the auxiliary tank may be controlled to regulate the supply of fuel to the device. v

IA further feature of the inventionresides in novel means for straining the liquid fuel to relieve it of foreign matter as well as novel means for trapping foreign matter which has a tendency to settle so that the same may 'be excluded `from the fluid passageway to the carbureter. y

A still further feature ofthe invention resides in the provision of a fuel feeding device which is mounted in a novel manner, to the' end that it may be securely yet uickly and easily mounted, and as readily amounted; and whose parts are assembled in a `novel manner and with few connecting parts so that the device may be quickly taken apart or assembled. y It is also one of the objects of the invention to provide a visible indicator through which the leveliof the fuel in the main feed tank of the device, may be readily ascertained.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to cer- \tain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in this specicationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n n Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional View of the device.

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of'Figure 1.

- Figure 3shows a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the mainm feed tank and the auxiliary vacuum tank in position,

'as being assembled together, and

Figure 6 shows a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form of the device.` Referring nowfmore particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals oflreference designate similar parts in each of the figures:l the numeral l designates an outer, or feed,

tank and the numeral 2 designates an inner or vacuum tank which is spaced from the outer tank form-ing a fuel feed chamber 3. The upper end of the tank 1 has an annular inwardly extending rim 4, which has a plurality of correspondingly turned J-slots 5, and the upper end of the vacuum tank 2 has an outwardf 1y extending annular rim 6 provided with the projecting tenons 7 adapted to enga e in said J-slots, as shown in. Figures 3, 4, and 5. The rims 4 and 6 have the ymarginal notches 8 and 9 which register, when the tanks, 1 and 2 are relatively turned, to engage the tenons 7 inthe slots 4, and keyweys are thus formed. There is a common cover l0 for said tank and the keys 11 are inserted through the margin of said cover and into said keyways to lock said tanks against relative rotation and to thus prevent the release of the tenons 7 from the slots 5. v

There is a tube l2 anchored to, and whose lower end extends beneath, the bottom of thetank 2 and this tube extends up through the axial bore l13 through' the cover l0 and on up through the bearing 14 in the free end of thelaterally extending arm 15 of the bracket 16, and threaded onto the pper end of the tube 12 there is a clani'p nut 17 which clampsv d t e said armsecurely between said nut an cover l0 and thus securely anchors the fuel feeding device -to the supporting bracket 16 and also holds the cover in assembled relation f with said tanks. The brackets 16 ma be secured to the dash board 18 of a motor ve icle in connection with which the device is used, or to any other suitable support. The tank 1 carries a clamp 19, on one side, and the bracket 16 carries an arm 20 Whose free end terminates in a spherical head 21 adapted to be inserted endwise into said clamp thus formwhich is connected, at one end, into the upper end of the bore 13 and the arm 15 has a tapped hole 23 adapted to receive the end of a pipe (not shown) through which the motive fuel may be derived from a supply tank into said channel 22 and Athence through the bore 13 into the vacuum tank 2.

Leading downwardly from the vacuum tank 2 there is a discharge spout 24 having an outlet iiap valve 25 through which the liquid fuel is delivered from the vacuum tank 2 into the chamber 3.

The bottom of the tank 1' has a. drain port 26 for cleansing purposes and normally closed gy a suitable plug. The bottom of the tank 1 so has an upstanding nipple 27 which has a channel 28 therethrough and the lower end of this nipple is adapted to be connected to the feed ipe leading to the carbureter. The nipple 2 stands up in the chamber 3 and its inlet end is enclosed by a cupshaped foraminated strainer 29 which is anchored to said nipple and whose upper end is closed by the ioat 30 htted loosely therein.

` Upstanding from the fioat 30 is a gauge rod 31 which extends up through the tube 12 and nut 17 and whose upper end is visible and thus serves to indicate the level of the iiuid in the chamber 3.

lin the vacuumtank 2 and vertically movl able on the tube 12 there is a float 32 formed hollow and of light material so as to be buoyant. The vacuum tank is connected to any source of suction such as the intake manifold of the motor through the usual suction passageway 33, of the cover 10, and the inner end of the passageway is formed into an enlarged dared valve seat 34 with which the. correspondingly shaped valve 35 cooperates to eoP open and close the passageway 33. The vacuum tank is also connected with the outer air through a passageway 36 in the cover 10 and whose inner end .is formed with a contracted valve seat 37 with which the valve 38 cooperates. The valves 35, 38 are connected by the stem 39 which works through a bearing 40 between said valve seats. There is an air duct axially through the valve 35 whose upper end is turned laterally through the stem 39 and whose lower end communicates with the interior of the tank 2. When the float 32 rises to a predetermined height the valves are lifted and the valve 35 seats in the seat 34 and 'closes the suction passageway 33 and the upper end of the duct 41 is carried above the seat 37 and the interior of the tank 2 is thus connected with the outer air to permit the fluid to drain by gravity from the tank 2, through the valve 29, into the chamber 3.

At one side of the vacuum tank there deends from the cover 10 an anchor bar 42 and ivoted to this bar are the inwardly converg- 1n upper and lower arms 43, 44 whose free en s are connected by the side links 45, and the arm 44 is extended and formed into a yoke 46 the free ends of whose arms are pivotally connected to the respective 'upstanding lugs 47, 47 carried by the float 32. Located midway between the ends of the links 45 are the outwardly extending anchor pins 48, 48 to which the pull springs 49, 49 are connected, at one end. On the opposite side of the tube 12 from the links 45 there is an anchor 50 de-A pendinof from the cover plate 10 and a plate like, va ve actuating lever 51 has its inner end connected thereto. The other end of this lever has the lateral studs 52, 52 to which the other ends of the corresponding springs 49 are attached.y The valve 35 has a depending stem 53, which works loosely through a bearing 54 in the lever 51 and its lower end has an enlarged head 55 to prevent its detachment from said lever.

In the form shown in Figure 6 the fioat 32 is eccentric with respect to the tank 2 and has a vertical bearing on the tube 12. This float 32 has a single central upstanding lug 47 to the upper end of which the link 45 is pivoted.

The arms 43', 44 are pivoted at their outer ends to the bar 42 andthey diverge and their other ends are pivoted to the respective upper and lower ends of the link 45. has the oppositely extended pins 48, 48', to which the adjacent ends of the springs 49 are attached. i

In operation when the supply of fuel in the vacuum tank is low the fioat, 32, or 32', therein will descend opening the valve 35 and seating the valve 38 to close the duct 41. The suction induced by the motor will then create a partial vacuum in the tank 2 and the atmospheric pressure on the fuel in the main supply tank will force the Lfuel into said vacuum tank, through the passageways provided. As the vacuum tank fills the float therein will be lifted until the s rings 49 pass centers and these springs will t en operate to This link` quickly close the valve 35 and open the valve- 37 to connect the vacuum tank with the free atmosphere. The fuel will now flow by gravity through the valve 25 into the chamber 3 and pass on to the carbureter by gravity, as needed, being strained through the 'strainer 30, and the foreign matter falling down about the nipple 27 to be drained out.

As the fuel lowers in the vacuum tank the ioat therein will descend until the springs 49 again pass centers and the valve 35 will be quickly opened and the' valve 38 closed and suction through the passageway 33 resumed. It is to be noted that the points of attachment of the springs 49 to the pms 48, 48 will move In the form of valve actuating mechanismshown in Figure 6 since the iioat 32 is connected directly to the link 45 it will require less movement of said float to trip. the valves than is the case with the construction shown in Figure 1 for actuating said valves, the valve actuating mechanism shown in'Figure 6 thus providing a very .sensitive valve control.V

While the inner vacuum tank 2 is filling air must be admitted into the chamber 3 in order that the fluid in said chamber may be supplied uniformly to the carbureter. For this purpose the gauge rod is fitted loosely through the nut 17 and air may be supplied to said chamber for the'purpose indicated through said nut 17 and tube 12. There is,

also, an inlet air port 55 at the upper end of the tank 1 through Which air may be admitted into'the chamber 3 to facilitate the feeding of the fuel therefrom to the carbureter, and also throu h which the air may escape from said chamlgager as the fuel rises therein when it is delivered thereto from the vacuum tank, 3.

Special attention is called to the fact that the fuel' feeding device described herein may be assembled, and maintained in assembled relation Withoutthe. use of screws, or bolts, and is particularly characterized by fevv parts vwhich may be .easilyT and quickly assembled or dismembered, and Whose parts are held in assembled relation by the same means provided for anchoring the device to its support. While l have shown What ll now consider the preferred forms of theinvention it is obvious that mechanical changes may be made therein and equivalents substituted for the parts shown and ll hereby reserve the-right to make such changes and substitutions as may be found desirable or practical and such as may be comprehended Within the scope of the appended claimsv What I claim is z-4 1. A fuel feeding device including an outer tank, an inner tank Within and spaced from the outer tank forming a fuel chamber between them provided with an outlet, a common cover for 'said tanks havin air passage- Ways Whi h communicate with t e inner tank, su

a comme valve mechanism through which said passageways may be opened and closed, a float in the inner tank, said valve mechanism including a yieldable memberand means connecting the float to said yieldable member through which the valve mechanism may be actuated as the float moves up arid down,

said connecting means being characterized b the provision of an anchor to which the yiel able member is attached and a device connected to the anchor and effective to limit said anchor to movement in a straight'linevvertically.

2. A fuel feeding device including an outer tank, an inner tank within and spaced from the outer tank forming a fuel chamber beltween them, said inner tank having a valve controlled outlet into said chamber and said chamber having an outlet, a cover for said which communicate with the inner tank, valve means for controlling said passageways, mechanism for actuating said valve means Which includes a yieldable member connected to said valve means and a movable anchor tanks, said cover having air passageways connected to said yieldable member, a float in means for detachably securing the upper ends of said tanks together, means carried by the cover for locking said tanks against separation, a support for said device, a common means attached to the inner tank through which said cover may be secured in assembled relation with said tanks and the entire assembly anchored to said support,

4, In a fuel feeding device an outer tank, an inner tank within and spaced from the outer tank, a common cover for said tanks, means for detachably securing the upper ends of said tanks together, means carried by the oever for locking said tanks against separation, a support for said device, means attached to the inner tank through which said cover may be secured in assembled relation with said tanks and the entire assembly anchored to said support, said support and cover having an inlet channel leading into the inner` tank,l

an inner tank Within and spaced from the outer tank, a support, a common cover for said tanks clamped between the support and the upper ends of the tanks, means attached to the inner tank and to said support and securing said cover in assembled relation with said tanks and anchoring said assembly to said pport. 6. In a. fuel feeding device an outer tank having an internal, annular flange at its upper end, an inner tank in said outer tank having an external annular flan e at its upper end, said flanges being'provi ed, one with J-slots and the other with tenons adapted to interlock in said slots, a support, and a common cover for said tanks clamped between said support and tanks.

7 In a fuel feeding device an outer tank .having'an internal, annular flange at its upper end, an inner tank in said outer tank aving an external annular flan e at its up` er end, said anges being provi ed, one with -slots and the other with tenons adapted to -interlock in said slots, and a common cover for said tanks, a support for the tanks, said support and cover having a fuel inlet channel into the inner tank, and also having an air inlet and an air outlet communicating with the interior of said inner tank, valve means controlling said airinlet and outlet, a ioat in the inner tank and operative connections between said olat and valve means.

8. In a fuel feed device an outer tank, an inner tank Within and spaced from said outer tank forming a chamber between them, a cover on said tanks, said chamber having an outlet, a screen surrounding the-inner end of said outlet, a float Within said screen, a gauge rod attached to said float and whose upper end extends through and above said cover.

9. In a fuel feed device an outer tank, an inner tank Within and spaced from said outer tank forming a` chamber between them, a cover 0n said tanks, said chamberv having an outlet, a screen surrounding the inner end vof said outlet, a float within said screen, a gauge rod attached to said float and Whose upper 'end extends through and above said cover, said inner tank having an inlet leading into thesame and also having 'an outlet leading into said chamber and means for controlling the Y flow of fluid into and out of said inner tank.

'valve means for controlling said passageways, a lever connected to'said valve means and pivoted at one end, a yieldable member connected, at one end, to the other end of said lever, a vertically lnbvable float in the inner tank, a vertically movable anchor to which said fioat and the other end of said yieldable member are connected and means confining said anchor to a substantially straight line movement to maintain a substantially uniform tension on said yieldable member.

In testimony whereof I` have signed my name to this specification.

HORACE A. STUKES. 

